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Korai
''Yaurai ''(讶妖; strange monster) are a class of supernatural monsters, spirits and demons in Kayonese folklore. The dama-dane for the word is made up of the character 讶 (strange, weird, macabre) and the character 妖 (beast, monster, creature). Other names include yauyan'ne and sasayashi. Yaurai are characterised by their animalistic features, though there are also many which are deceivingly humanoid in appearance. The most common trait associated with yaurai is their extreme loathing of human beings and in fact all natural life. While a number of yaurai are not active hunters of humans and prefer to stay solitary and undisturbed, the majority are aggressive and malicious in their intent. Yaurai cannot be characterised fully by one attribute, however, as their powers and personalities vary from creature to creature. It is important to recognise that some yaurai are much more dangerous than others, and should be avoided at all costs. There is much debate about why or how yaurai ''have come into existence. Some Kayonese folklorists describe ''yaurai as being 'manifestations of human evil in its purest form', meaning that yaurai ''are kept alive solely by the malicious actions of human beings. Others believe that ''yaurai ''were created to punish humans for their evil deeds, and control the population level. Religious zealots say that ''yaurai ''are in fact god-like creatures who represent the dark side of deism. Concept In general, ''yaurai ''are considered to be supernatural entities. A small number of ''yaurai (whose appearance depicted some kind of mysterious natural phenomena, such as a solar eclipse or wildfires) have been firmly debunked by modern science as being a product of ignorance in ancient times. In Kayonese culture, it is believed that yaurai ''(and indeed, other classifications of spirits) are kept alive by the consumation of 'bad energy' or ''zun-gaya which helps their presence and ability increase. The most powerful monsters are usually the most ancient, having fed for thousands of years on the evil deeds of human beings. Some yaurai ''are linked to specific crimes - for example, the ''ouyo-go is an underwater entity which collects the souls of those who are killed by drowning. Others, such as the baken-wara, are linked to certain notions and emotions, such as thoughts of murder and/or perversion. Types According to ancient texts, there are three main categories of yaurai: * Four physical apparitions: humanoid, animal, plant, and natural phenomena. * Five types of behaviour: aggressive, docile, 'grey' (capacity for good or evil), mischievous, and passive. * Eight origins or habitats: mountains, marsh/wetland, forest, rivers/lakes, ocean, towns/cities, caves, and the sky. History Ancient history Tales of the yaurai ''have been in circulation throughout Kayon for over a thousand years. Although the writing of books was not common practice until the Middle Ages, auditory tales and legends have traditionally been passed down for generations before recording was ever necessary. Due to this hereditary custom, it was common for different families to have slightly different tellings of the same story, often taking their own homes, jobs and societal status into account. The earliest known documentation of any kind of ''yaurai ''comes from the scroll "Six Hells of Evil", written by a Koizan priest in 1123. Detailing the six hells of Koizan, Kayon's most ancient religion, it features multiple references to archaic and now-infamous ''yaurai. In the early 17th century, when literacy among the upper-class was beginning to take root in Kayon, multiple books were published detailing some of the more well-known yaurai and their according legends. One of these books was "Kun-kurei no Kagawa" (literally, 'tales of the deep darkness') which become extremely popular. The book is responsible for much of the information we know today about yaurai, and remains a national treasure. Modern history In modern times, especially during the 1980s and 90s, yaurai received a revival which resulted in many new and fresh tales being created by aspiring horror writers. Although many people do not consider these creatures to be 'real' yaurai, as they are completely make-believe, they are still classified as yaurai due to their similarity in classification, behaviour, origin and influence. Some contemporary yaurai ''have been given the name 蔄讶妖 (manashi-yaurai), literally meaning 'monsters of the modern day' to distinguish them from their older ancestors. Some ''manashi-yaurai have been heavily influenced by other modern legends from nearby countries such as Japan and Korea. A prime example is the story "おぐんえ えらた" (''ogun-e erata; ''Elevator to Nowhere), which draws inspiration from the popular Korean urban legend, Elevator to Another World. See also * Kei-nori * Koizan